Status report

We have received Benji's development summary from nursery, it is a 3 page little report on this development. It was really good to read, as if I had a little window to look into his secret life when we are not around.
Though I will put this paper away as a memory anyway, I will write it down here, who knows if our house burnt down or something...

Social and emotional development: Benjamin is becoming more confident and has developed good relationships with adults and has formed strong bonds with individual children. Benjamin is a caring child and he is able to express his own preferences and interests.

Communication and language: Benjamin shows good concentration and listening skills when in a group or one to one when to conversation interests him.
He is able to understand more complex sentences and enjoys small tasks. He communicates effectively and will often share his feelings, experiences and thoughts and will ask questions.

Physical Development: Benjamin enjoys the outdoors and uses the equipment carefully and confidently. He is able to show good hand and eye co-ordination when using writing equipment and scissors.
Benjamin is confident with using the toilet, but may need a little support. He is becoming more independent and starting to put his own coat and shoes on, with support.

Literacy: Benjamin enjoys listening to stories and will hold books the right way up and turns the pages. He will join in with songs and rhymes when interests him. He shows good control with using mark making tools and will talk about what he is drawing.

Maths: Benjamin organizes and categorizes objects with the toys that interest him. He enjoys jigsaw puzzles and is able to do a 6 piece jigsaw. He also likes filling and emptying containers with water or sand.

Understanding the World: Benjamin has an own sense of immediate family and will often talk about them. He loves to play with the small world model some that include the train track and garage.
He also shows an interest with playing with the children's laptop, camera and tills.

Arts and Design: Benjamin loves singing along to a few songs and joining in when he is interested. Benjamin loves imaginative activities. He uses different props to support his role play and seeks out others to share his experiences.


And since we talk about status report, has to mention little Robin too. He is getting better and better in walking. He is really good handling balls, throws it, catches it, rolsl it. What's more, you can tell that he is going to be a waterpolo player as sometimes before he throws the ball he lifts it and waves it a little bit before throwing as if he wanted to trick you..
He is trying to use the spoon, the number of his teeth are still 6. He is as tall as a Koala bear (79cm) Benji is like Tom Thumb (101cm) according to our wall chart.
Had to cut his hear already, and he is getting less and less red :-(
He can not stand being dressed or having his nappy changed.
He is into packing things in and out of boxes. He can spend hours with a set of colouring pens taking them out and putting them back into the box, or he likes when he can open "his" cupboard in the kitchen and he can take the plastic containers in and out while I am cooking. He would like to arrange Benji's little cars as well, but unfortunately his big brother doesn't always allow him to do so.
 

He has stood up and now walking too!

Robin made his first steps on Wednesday. Typical Robin style. Not carefully, by holding onto something then slowly step by step, like Benji was doing. No. Robin takes a big breath and off he goes, 5-6 quick steps on his wobbly, chunky legs, then head in smashes into the ground (as he has not learnt yet to put his arms front of him), so he crashes into the floor with his nose or forehead whichever reaches ground first. But as soon as he crashed he looks up, grins at us as if saying that "this deserved a clap". So we clap and can't kiss enough his little nose and forehead which becomes redder and redder.

Although he is getting better and better by the day. Now on Sunday, he has learnt how to fall with hands first, he managed to stand up from a sitting position, moreover once he managed to stop himself after he made a few steps, he stopped, balanced, grinned, clapped himself. Then set down on his bum.

It was actually a really nice weather this weekend, so we decided to paint our fence (it really needed it ever since we moved in) Benji helped and he really enjoyed himself and how much of a "big boy" he is. Poor him had a tonsilitis this week, so it was good to see him back in his old form, as at the beginning of the week he was really not himself, was just sitting and staring front of him, or whinging.

He was really cute though one of the days. I had a white shirt on because of work, and when we were getting ready for bath, he stroke my arm and the shirt, and with a thinking face looked at me: "Mummy you are really nice." Just like that. I love having boys! (although had to quickly go and tell Richard that at least his son says compliments :-))

Wedding

On Saturday we have been invited to one of Richard's collague's wedding. It was quite a nice wedding party, plus we have received good news regarding his job, so it made the night.
We were only invited to the party, and I didn't feed the kids thinking that there are always lots of food at a wedding. Well, there was, but they only came out at around 10pm, so embarassing or not we had to go to a nearby McDonalds to feed the boys.
We must have looked funny all dressed up (even the boys were wearing ties) eating Happy Meal. People probably thought that McDonalds is such a treat for us, that we all dress up as a family to go out there :-)
The kids were cute, dancing together at the wedding, although you could tell that Benji will be ill, as all  night he was behaving really strangely. The day after he woke up with a snotty nose, and a cold. He is still ill since... :-(

Who does this boy looks like?

At the Balaton and the rest

I am writing from England now, came back on Saturday, so currently I am having my usual settling back depressed mood. It was really good to be back at home, and not looking forward to work tomorrow, especially that I have to work now more hours, 3 and half days. We had really good time in Hungary, weather was good, has seen everyone, the children had good times, good experiences, Benji's Hungarian has improved a lot (or his knowledge become more active than passive).
He is starting pre-school tomorrow, and Robin will start nursery next year too :-(

But let's not go into the future that much, I wanted to keep the pictures here as a memory. Thanks to a friend we have managed to go down to the Balaton, they have let us to stay in their studio apartment, and because we all stayed in one room, after we put the children to sleep we were "forced" outside on the balcony and to speak eachother, which we have really needed.
And because the apartment was in Balatonfüred we managed to see Vera as well, who only has 2 weeks left until their 4th child arrives.
Unfortunately the weather was not too good, but Robin and I still went into the Balaton, while the "water paranoid" half of our family stayed outside and played in the sand. We ate lángos, fish, watermelon, and ice-cream until we couldn't eat more.

We have also been at the Bear sanctuary again where we could feed the bears with honey.

Also visited the new swimming pools close to our house, and had a little splish-splash. To our surprise first Robin was the one who was afraid and Benji the brave one who was keep jumping in and out of the children pool. Although it might helped that Edina was chasing him as a shark...

 At the Balaton, first day my parents came with us, unfortunately the weather was not as good, but we had some fish and lángos at the shore.

The forest zoo at Balatonarács, which is new, nice, small and free. And feeding the rabbits at Vera's:

With friends:

Keresztúr festival with Sebi and Timi

This watermelon is really heavy...

With my auntie and Misó (and the 4th cake, which is missing from the picture

With Dóra and Barnabás, it was the best to see her and being able to spend time together

Meeting lots of friends and Benji was just a little bit antisocial...